A short Christmas break for the Formula 1 teams, but the hard work focused on designing the all-new ground effect cars that will come in to play in 2022 will soon be resumed. And, after an very-competitive 2021 Formula One season, there have been some fears voiced that the new regulations could lead to a field spread with some teams that may be able to identify better solution and therefore find more performance than others.
Formula 1 has not denied that there is the possibility of one or two teams being ahead at the front in the start of the 2022 campaign, given the new concepts as a result of the new regulations. Yet Stedano Domenicali is certain that, with teams still finding their way with the new rules, any advantages seen in the first races next year will disappear very quickly.
In a recent interview for Motorsport, the former Ferrari boss explained: “It is clear that in the context of a season that starts with a new regulation and the budget cap, differences between the cars could emerge greater than what people might expect. But I am equally sure that the limitations linked to the new regulations will mean that if there are these differences, the gap will be closed more quickly.” – he said.
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The idea expressed by Stefano Domenicali was also supported by Scuderia Ferrari, as the Maranello team feels that the critical thing next year will be how fast teams can respond to their competitive situation at the beginning of the championship. Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto explained: “It may be that at the start to the season there will be difference in competitiveness between the cars, because of the ways in which each team may have interpreted the rules and the solutions they may bring. Here what I think will be important as Ferrari is being capable of understanding weaknesses and addressing them very quickly. So it’s the team reaction that will be key. We cannot be confident of having a competitive car from the start, because you never know what may happen when you’ve got such a big rule change. But it is about being capable of addressing it as soon as possible.” – he added.
Stefano Domenicali remains confident that the new generation of cars should put more emphasis on driver talent – and that could lead to plenty more battles: “We are facing a season in 2022 where there are so many new elements that can be characterised in a positive or negative sense. The ground effect cars have been designed to highlight the skills of the drivers. They are machines that should be driven, without the wake [dirty air] effect that deteriorates the tyres. The goal is to have duels between many drivers, without having the limits related to the car.” – he concluded.
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